A Bill of Rights For Children with Mental Health Disorders and their Families

5 years agoThis is a very important document for Adults and Children alike.

These
basic rights should be afforded all children with mental disorders and
their families,regardless of socioeconomic, gender, cultural, or racial
status. These rights apply to families and children with
neuro-developmental, neuro-psychiatric, and psychological disorders.

1.
Treatment must be family driven and child focused. Families and youth,
(when appropriate),must have a primary decision making role in their
treatment.

2. Children should receive care in home and community based settings as close to home as possible.

3.
Mental health services are an integral part of a child’s overall health
care. Insurance companies must not discriminate against children with
mental ill nesses by imposing financial burdens and barriers to
treatment, such as differential deductibles, co-pays, annual or lifetime
caps, or arbitrary limits on access to medically necessary inpatient
and/or outpatient services.

4.
Children should receive care from highly qualified professionals who
are acting in the best interest of the child and family, with
appropriate informed consent.

5.
Parents and children are entitled to as much information as possible
about the risks and benefits of all treatment options, including
anticipated outcomes.

6.
Children receiving medications for mental disorders should be monitored
appropriately to optimize the benefit and reduce any
risks or potentialside effects which may be associated with such
treatments.

7.
Children and their families should have access to a comprehensive
continuum of care, based on their needs,including a full range of
psychosocial, behavioral, pharmacological, and educational services,
regardless of the cost.

8.
Children should receive treatment within a coordinated system of care
where all agencies (e.g.,health, mental health, child welfare, juvenile
justice, and schools, etc.) delivering services work together to support
recovery and optimize treatment outcome.

9.
Children and families are entitled to an increased investment in high
quality research on theorigin,diagnosis,and treatment of childhood
disorders.